The present invention concerns a method of operating a turnstile gate for the purpose of controlling human thoroughfare. A thoroughfare-obstructing structure rotates around a fixed axis and has thoroughfare-obstructing means extending out of it and separated by equal angles. The thoroughfare-obstructing means can be shifted out of their usual state, the operational state, into a non-operational state. As the thoroughfare-obstructing structure rotates, the thoroughfare-obstructing means revolve out of a thoroughfare-obstructing position and into a thoroughfare unobstructing position. Another arm revolves into the thoroughfare-obstructing position whenever the arm directly downstream of it revolves out of the thoroughfare-obstructing position and into the thoroughfare unobstructing position. When a condition, a power failure for example, that interferes with regular operation occurs, at least the thoroughfare-obstructing means currently in the thoroughfare-obstructing position shift out of that position and into a non-operational state that allows continuous thoroughfare.
A turnstile gate for regulating human thoroughfare is known from German Patent 2 825 787. The axis of the turnstile is at an angle of 45.degree. to the perpendicular. The turnstile has three thoroughfare-obstructing arms that extend trigonally from a hub. As the turnstile rotates, the arms revolve one after another out of and into either a thoroughfare unobstructing position or a thoroughfare-obstructing position. The arms are usually maintained extending out from the hub at a specified angle to the axis by mechanisms that can be disengaged, allowing the arms to fold down out of the way.
Turnstile gates of this type have been proven excellent as means of controlling human thoroughfare, especially for example when the arms are maintained in their usual and operational state revolving as the turnstile rotates one after another into a thoroughfare-obstructing position by electromagnetic mechanisms. In the event of power failure or when the power is turned off on purpose, the arms will accordingly fold down out of the way into the state allowing continuous thoroughfare subject to gravity. This provision prevents people from becoming trapped upstream of the gate when the power fails and allows them to escape freely past the open gate in an emergency.
Such gates do have a drawback, however. It is inconvenient and time-consuming to render the gate ready to use again once the condition resulting in disengagement of the mechanisms that maintain at least the thoroughfare-obstructing means currently in the thoroughfare-obstructing position in the operational state has been eliminated. The arms must be shifted back manually into their operational state. This is particularly difficult when thoroughfare into and out of a large area is controlled by several such gates.
A highly similar turnstile gate is known from German GM 6 937 378. Three thoroughfare-obstructing arms extend out of a hub that rotates around an axis at an angel to the perpendicular. As the hub rotates the arms revolve one after another into a horizontal thoroughfare-obstructing position. The arms in this turnstile gate also fold down out of the way once the mechanisms that maintain them in the operational state have been disengaged. When a condition of the aforesaid type occurs accordingly, continuous thoroughfare past the gate will be ensured.
This known turnstile gate also suffers from the drawback that once the condition that has resulted in disengagement of the mechanisms maintaining the arms in the operational state has been eliminated and regular operation is to be resumed, the arms must be shifted back manually into their usual and operational state.
Finally, a turnstile gate is known from German OS 4 036 878 wherein thoroughfare is blocked with panels extending radially out of a post with a vertical axis of rotation. At least two panels can pivot or fold out of their thoroughfare-obstructing position around axes paralleling the axis of the turnstile to provide an escape route in an emergency, providing continuous thoroughfare past the gate.
Whereas the arms in the other turnstile gates hereintofore described fold down out of the way automatically and subject to gravity once the mechanisms have been disengaged, the panels in the last gate must be pivoted both out of the way and, once the condition has been eliminated, back into their operational state manually. This drawback is inconvenient and time-consuming.